Good Mornin!

Spinach and Leek Quiche

You'll need:

1 package frozen organic spinach

1 med leek

1 1/2 c fresh spinach

6 asparagus spears

6 egg whites (if you can get your eggs from a local farmer or a friend with hens please do so)

2 whole eggs

1 tbsp organic soy milk (unsweetened)

1 tbsp dried basil

2 pinches cayenne

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp rice Parmesan 

1 frozen pie crust

S&P

1 tbsp EVOO

Cheese to sprinkle (optional)

Make it:

1) Pre heat oven to 350. Pull out frozen pie crust, let thaw a bit. Defrost frozen spinach in the microwave until completely thawed. Use as much of the leek possible; do not use the dark tops, dice roughly. In a pan with EVOO, sautee the leeks on a low flame. When your spinach is cooled, empty the contents of your bag or package onto a clean kitchen towel and wring out all liquid. Beat 6 egg whites and 2 eggs with nutritional yeast, rice parm, sea salt, pepper, basil and soy milk. Beat well with a whisk creating fluffy eggs.

2) Assembly: Place fresh spinach on pie shell as a base layer; crumble thawed, frozen spinach on top of fresh. Scatter leeks over spinach; with your clean fingers squish together leeks and crumbled spinach. Make sure it is evenly distributed in the pie shell. Pour the beaten, seasoned eggs evenly over your veg. Cut the asparagus to about 3in or short enough to line up end to end forming 6 pie wedges. Brush the pie crust with whatever egg was left in the bowl for a browned crust.

3) Bake for 20, sprinkle cheese on top then bake for another 20. Or without cheese for 40 min or until golden brown. 

Enjoy!

left a bit non dairy and sprinkled cheddar on the rest. YUM!

It had been a while since us girls hung out all together so I had them all over for breakfast on this chilly Sunday morning. I was so excited, I woke up at 5:45 without an alarms help and jumped in the shower before any of the littles woke. Last night I scoped the fridge and pantry for breakfast ideas; I knew I had this frozen pie crust so I thought I'd make a quiche. I'd never made one before so I googled recipes but none of them really worked for what I had. To be honest, I'm not really a fan of quiche; I feel like every one I've ever come across was loaded with onion and not healthy. I figured if I was going to experiment these lovlies would tell me what's up. I was going to make it totally vegan but I opted for a dairy free, veggie version still using eggs. I sprinkled a bit of cheese on half of it so Blair and I could remain dairy free. I used A LOT of veggies so the eggs were almost just for binding and a vessel for seasoning. Stefanie worked until 7:30 this morning and thought a 10 minute nap would be good. After two hours of not answering her phone, we let her sleep in :) Melissa put together a berry delight with strawberries, blueberries, grapes and chopped mint and I baked some croissants (not from scratch). I squeezed fresh OJ and the ladies mixed it with Pellagrino. Blair and Shelagh brought coffee, Pellagrino and paper plates...What? paper plates? yea, paper plates. Something clogged my kitchen sink pipes while I was juicing this a.m. and water started to sit it the sink. Disgusting. 

Anyhow, fun times as always. My experiment was successful and I got to spend the morning with my ladies.

be well

xoL

Manic Monday

It's Monday!!! Meatless Monday! I'm making Broccoli slaw stir fried with quinoa and teriyaki "beef."

I love going to the store with my husband; now that Oliver can sit in the cart, we just take one cart and walk every aisle together. He's a fan of Sprouts but we were out in the Torrance area so we decided to go to the mother ship, Whole Foods.
When I do my shopping I split the tab between TJs and Sprouts. I spend roughly, $90 at each store, sometimes more or less. This lasts about a week and a half to two weeks. I get all of my produce at Sprouts and some other random stuff and then most of the easy ready made stuff, I get at TJs. I bought just as much stuff as I would have at Sprouts and TJs, combined, and spent the same amount. However, since the husby was with me, there was about $40 more spent on fancy beer and a $20 porterhouse steak. About once a month Kenny gets this urge for a feast fit for a king. It is always on a Sunday and it always involves a giant steak, which I never think he's going to finish and he always proves me wrong. I can't be upset if this meat eating viking only eats meat occasionally. He used to be very hamburger oriented but has become conscience of what he eats so when he does it is done with thought. Fast food isn't a question, though, he loves In-N-Out but that is an occasional thing.
We stuck to what we needed and that was that. I mean, if I had an unlimited amount of money could I spend more? Duh, of course! If you go in with a plan you can surely stay in budget; go in blind and you use your whole wallet at Whole Foods.
Do you know where I used to spend the most? VONS. Effing hate that place. I go there now if I need a gift card from that giant gift card wall thing but, otherwise? No, thanks. Albertsons? blech. I have to say, as far as major grocery chains go, Ralphs does offer more vegan/vegetarian products. But to buy organic in a major chain is ridic when you can go to TJs, Sprouts, Whole Foods or a damn Farmer's Market and get great stuff for less. Buy locally and seasonally; you will spend less and your food will taste better.


Happy Meatless Monday!
be well
xoL

Ven Conmigo

Another Everything Must Go Soup:

Organic South West Stylie

4 cloves of garlic, diced

4 tbsp EVOO

2 sm. cans or 6 whole Ortega chiles, diced

1 red and yellow bell pepper

1 dried Bay leaf

1 tbsp crushed red pepper

1 tbsp cumin

1 can corn

1 can low sodium black beans

S&P

5 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 cups pureed sweet potatoes

veg broth

1 head broccoli, rough chop

Make it:

-Preheat oven to 400. Dissect a head of broccoli, the whole thing, stock and all. Toss in a roasting pan with EVOO, S&P and about a tsp of cumin. The broccoli should be nice and coated, cumin is strong so start small and add as you wish (aaaassssss yyyyooouuuuu wwwwiiiiiiiisssssshhhhhhh). I let it go about 1/2 hr, but check it after 20, you might want to pull it then. I like the trees crispy so I let it go for a bit.

-In a soup pot, add 4 tbsp of EVOO, or enough to coat the bottom, on a med-low flame. Add chopped garlic, let that go for a sec, add diced ortegas and bell peppers. Give that a minute to love each other, add bay leaf, crushed red and cumin. Stir for a minute to give everyone a chance to get hot. Let them all hang out until the bells start to get a little soft, add corn and beans, stir. Add nutritional yeast, stir and then taste. If you need S&P then add, I just used a bit. Add sweet potatoes, stir. Add veg broth; just add enough to thin it out, make it as thin or thick as you like. Let simmer for a bit stirring occasionally.

-Serve in a toasted bread bowl topped with broccoli and a sprinkle of cheese; in a bowl with chopped chipotle Field Roast 'sausage' and broccoli. Serve over corn chips and add chicken if you like, so many possibilities :)

lunch

preparing for the sauna

I had to use the peppers, broccoli, ortega chiles and sweet potato puree. What ends up happening is, I pull everything I need to use, stare at it for a while, go to my pantry, stare at that and then something comes to mind. Just taste as you go and see if you want to add or take away something. That's what's so rad about cooking, I take it as another outlet for creativity. I also have the challenge of having a carnivorous husby that I have to fake out which poses as a challenge. It just makes it that much more rewarding when he loves it. And, NO, he doesn't just tell me that; he tells me truthfully what he liked and didn't like. This soup was a bit too spicy for Jude; next time I would back off on the crushed red. 

Have fun!

Clartiy

I was thinking (yes, it hurt) about what I reeeeeally want to do. What am I most interested in? I'm not going to just stay at home forever; that's boring. What do I miss everyday? What is the next big thing? It didn't take very long to figure it out.
I have so many friends on FB posting about how they are "off to rehearsal," "happy closing," "i love my cast," "felt good about my audition," "watch (whatever show). you'll see me behind (actress)!" I do get excited for them, I do. Do I get disgusted with myself for allowing myself to be sooo consumed with jealousy it ends up ruining the remainder of my day? Yes, a thousand times, yes. I have no real reason to be jealous, I mean, could I really be doing all of that too? Yes. So, here's the adjustment to that initial list of 10 things I want to do; get cast in a show. BAM! Challenge accepted! A lot has to go into that; I have to go back to a vocal coach, go back to dance class, get back down to a standard costume size. It will be just as hard as training for a marathon. You don't think so? Ok, you go do it. ;)
For the past year and a half, I have been engaged to this box of study materials for a personal trainer certification; we have never set a date. Well, guys, it's final! The date is September 8th, I'm taking the test. I  got sidetracked by the whole baby thing and never opened the box again until a week ago. I try to study a little in the morning and then after Oliver goes to bed at 7 and Jude is hanging out in his room, I study a little more. I don't know how some moms and dads go to school and work and do all of the kid stuff. You guys are awesome; I'm not that cool, kudos! The material isn't difficult, seeing as I know a whole lot of it already. As long as it's something you are interested in and passionate about it doesn't seem like work, right?
Lastly, I let my Esthetician license expire like a dummy so I think I may re-take the state board test to reinstate that. I let it expire knowing I was moving to NY and I thought I was never going to live in California again; I mean, it wasn't an absurd thought and it would have been invalid in NY as I took the boards in CA. Anyhow, it's an option; I miss the discounts! I liked the business and the work I just found the facials boring and taxing. I could never be a massage therapist; I was always so affected by the client's stress or anxiety so, after 5 facials I'd be spent. I am not into the massage portion of the facial; I am good at it, I will say that, it was just boooooring. I was more into the clinical part of it; cleansing exfoliate, EXTRACTIONS... guys, I'm a picker, like, if there is something that needs to be popped or extracted I cannot continue conversation until you or I handle your biz. It's the main reason I considered the career. I know, right? cray cray. I liked waxing because I could talk more and it was faster. I could book more and make more cashola. I just have to study a bit for the written portion but I think I'll be good.
In a nutshell, I'll be a busy bee. I like it that way :)

Don't settle. That never works out for anyone.
be well,
xoL

On Top Of Old Smokey

Spaghetti Squash might be one of my top 5 fav veggies. It's genius! This gift from nature has a mild flavor and when the flesh is scraped with a fork it becomes hearty and noodle like. It's easy to cook, it's versatile and low in calories yet still providing calcium and vitamin A. When you eat a cup of regular white pasta you're looking at about 200 cals, 2g fat and 43ish carbs for 1 cup, what's that? a palm full? This is about 45 cals, no fat and 10g carbs; these are carbs your temple can break down and turn into fuel. I'm sorry? Temple? Yea, your body is your temple. Treat it well. I digress, when I was little my mom used to just put a little butter and S&P; it's an option. As an adult I've come to utilize the entirety of the squash and consider it a "pasta." My mom is so good at just going through the fridge and pantry and putting together the most delicious meals. The base of those meals was usually pasta with some awesome sauteed something or a yummy sauce. I do the same just using Spaghetti squash and broccoli slaw. Broccoli slaw is a whole other story. I think one of my fav parts of the squash is the fact that you roast it upside down, fork the flesh (Bevis laugh), and top how you may right in the skin of the squash, it's like a boat of goodness. This is what I made last night:

You'll need:
Spaghetti Squash- Depending on how many you need to feed; a large one will feed three hungry people
1 bag Frozen spinach
2 cans Trader Joe's canned artichoke hearts in water
1can Organic canned corn
1lg can Ortega Chiles, diced- I had a can of whole chiles and chopped them so try 2 small cans of pre-diced
Veganaise or mayo or ricotta
Daiya Mozzarella shredded cheese
head of garlic
1/4c nutritional yeast or grated parm
1/2 tbsp red chile flakes
S&P
EVOO

Pre-heat oven to 350. Microwave frozen spinach until completely thawed. Microwave spag squash for a few mins; this tenderizes the squash so you can halve it. It is way too hard to cut without this step, think pumpkin carving. After you halve the squash, spoon out the seeds and such, rub with EVOO and S&P. When your oven comes to temp, in a foiled lasagna pan, cake pan, jelly roll pan; whatever you have, place squash upside down, flesh side down and put in oven. Also, chop the top of the head of garlic so you see the cloves, rub with EVOO and wrap in foil, place in oven as well. Time 20-30 min, when ready take squash and garlic out of oven, flip one of the halves and make scrape a bit to make sure its tender enough. While squash is in the oven and your spinach is cooling drain the corn and dump into lg mixing bowl. Open and drain the cans of artichoke hearts, empty onto a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and press to get as much of the water out as possible; chop to the size you prefer. I leave mine pretty chunky, toss in the bowl. Drain and empty cans of ortega chiles into bowl. In a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, squeeze the water from the spinach, crumble into bowl. I used veganaise as a binder but you can definitely sub ricotta or mayo, think Spinach Artichoke dip. I used a less than a cup of veganaise but make it to your preferred consistency. Add the chile flakes, nutritional yeast* or parm and S&P to taste. Unwrap garlic from foil and squeeze head of garlic into a small bowl. The cloves should be caramel in color, add a pinch of S&P and smash with the back of a spoon making a paste; add to spinach mix and mix in well. Spoon the mixture on top of the already scraped squash halves, sprinkle with vegan mozzarella or regular mozz and place in broiler on high just to melt the cheese quickly.
Enjoy.



*Nutritional yeast... so clutch. You can get it in the bulk bins at your local whole foods type store. For 2tbsp, heaping, about 50cals, <1g fat, over 8g protein <5g carbs; high in folic acid, magnesium, B12, Thiamin, Niacin and Riboflavin-all of the B vitamins, and it taste like effing cheese! I use it as a Parmesan replacement or on eggs or a tofu scramble. Just get a little bit and try, I always have at least 2 cups in my pantry.

Eat up.
be well
xoL

do you know the muffin man?

1 1/4c   whole wheat flour
1 1/4tsp baking powder
1/2tsp    baking soda
2 1/2tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of mutmeg(nutmeg is strong! careful :)
2 egg whites
3 smashed verrrrrry ripe nanners (the riper they are the sweeter they are)
1/4c no sugar added applesauce
1/4c grade A maple syrup

1. Pre heat your oven to 350. In one bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a larger bowl, smash the nanners well and mix in eggwhites, apple sauce and maple syrup; mix well. After wet ingredients are mixed add 1/2 of the sifted dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, mix and add the rest of the dry. I added about a 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips. you can definitely omit these. This is enough mix for 1 dozen muffins; my pan is a european muffin tray so they are a bit smaller.

2. You can make this as a loaf in a loaf pan or muffins with or without liners. Just make sure you spray your pan or grease it however you prefer. I used some random cupcake/muffin liners I found in my pantry. Bake at 350; my cupcakes took 14 mins. A loaf should take up to 40 mins. Not all ovens are calibrated the same so give it about 10 mins(muffins) then stick a toothpick or cake tester in the center of the loaf or cake and make sure it comes out clean. You might see some chocolate on the stick as you pull it out as they are warm and gooey now.

3. Enjoy!!! :)